1 Samuel 16:6

DAVID WAS ANOINTED BY SAMUEL IN BETHLEHEM

"When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one. And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here"? And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." and Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here." And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah."

"Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature" (1 Samuel 16:7). Saul had been an excellent example of one who certainly looked like a king but was unfit for the office.

"Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel" (1 Samuel 16:8). Everything in this passage indicates the secrecy of the proceedings. Each son who came before Samuel had to be "called," which, in context, probably means "sent for," just as David was. Furthermore, the statement in 1 Samuel 16:13 that David was anointed "in the midst of his brethren" could not mean that all of his brothers witnessed the anointing, but that he was chosen from "the midst of his brethren," just as Moses had promised with reference to the Messiah that God would raise him up from "the midst of thee and of thy brethren" (Deuteronomy 18:15 AV). As Willis said, "There is no indication in this text, nor even in 1 Samuel 16:13, that the elders, Jesse, or Jesse's seven eldest sons realized the primary purpose of Samuel's visit."[5] It was exactly like it was when Saul was anointed, not even the members of his family knew of it at first. In this anointing of David, "Even David's brothers knew nothing about the meaning and object of the anointing."[6]

"And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel" (1 Samuel 16:10). David, at this time had not appeared; and thus the number of Jesse's sons, as indicated here, was eight. However, in 1 Chronicles 2:13-15, only seven sons are named, David being listed as the seventh. Willis reported that, "This problem has not been satisfactorily resolved";[7] but as John W. Haley explained it, "The writer in Chronicles simply, "Omitted a son who died early."[8]

"Now he was ruddy ... and handsome" (1 Samuel 16:12). "This means that David was either of fair complexion or red-haired,"[9] or perhaps both, since both conditions often appear together. This writer had both a brother and a sister with light complexion and with red hair.

"The Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David" (1 Samuel 16:13). This probably refers to supernatural strength such as Samson had and to other magnificent endowments. David's killing a lion and a bear might well have been results of this endowment.

"Again it must be understood that this appointment of David carried with it no office, title or prerogatives. It simply represented a future destiny to be worked out (by God Himself) in human history."[10] God would use Saul himself in working out this future placement of David upon the throne of Israel.